Container for tobacco articles and relative production method

ABSTRACT

A container ( 1; 48; 52; 54 ) for tobacco articles, the container ( 1; 48; 52; 54 ) being formed from folded sheet material ( 9 ), and having at least one wall ( 7 ) defined by an inner portion ( 22, 23 ) and an outer portion ( 21, 24 ) of sheet material superimposed at least partly on each other; and the part of the inner portion ( 22, 23 ) covered by a corresponding part of the outer portion ( 21,10 24 ) is drawn to accommodate the thickness of the corresponding part of the outer portion ( 21, 24 ), so that the relative wall ( 7 ) has a substantially continuous outer surface with no steps or exposed free edges ( 31 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a container for tobacco articles.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a container for tobacco articles, e.g. a cigarette packet or carton, of the type formed by folding sheet material, normally a blank, and comprising at least one double-layer wall defined by an inner portion and an outer portion of sheet material superimposed on each other, at least part of the inner portion being covered by a corresponding part of the outer portion.

The present invention is particularly advantageous for producing hinged-lid packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.

BACKGROUND ART

In the tobacco industry, hinged-lid packets of cigarettes, i.e. packets comprising a body and a lid hinged to each other along a hinge line, are known to be produced by folding a flat, substantially rectangular blank, on which two preformed longitudinal fold lines or strips, parallel to each other and to a longitudinal axis of the blank, define a central body divided by a number of preformed transverse fold lines and by said hinge line into a succession of panels normally comprising a first front panel of the body, a second bottom panel of the body, a third rear panel of the body, a fourth rear panel of the lid connected to the third panel along said hinge line, a fifth top panel of the lid, a sixth front panel of the lid, and a seventh reinforcing panel of the sixth panel.

Outwards of the central body, the preformed longitudinal fold lines or strips define two first flaps connected to respective longitudinal edges of the first panel; two second flaps connected to respective longitudinal edges of the third panel; two third flaps connected to respective longitudinal edges of the fourth panel; and two fourth flaps connected to respective longitudinal edges of the sixth panel.

When folding the blank, each of the above flaps is folded squarely with respect to the relative panel and superimposed on another flap to form a relative portion of a lateral wall of the packet. More specifically, each first flap is placed on and gummed to the outer surface of a corresponding second flap, and each fourth flap is placed on and gummed to the outer surface of a corresponding third flap, to form, on the packet, two opposite lateral walls, on each of which the free edges of the outer flaps are visible.

The fact that the free edges are visible has both aesthetic and functional drawbacks. That is, the free edges, on the one hand, are normally the natural colour of the cardboard from which the blank is made, as opposed to the same colour/s as the adjacent outer surface of the packet, and, on the other, are rough, so that the packet is apt to catch, in use, on surrounding materials, and any transparent overwrapping material is prevented from adhering perfectly to the outer surface of the packet.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,317 discloses a parallelepiped container for cigarettes formed by bending and folding a single blank of a suitably cut sheet of paperboard, cardboard or other stiff, resilient and foldable material. The container carries a boxlike lid hinged along its rear wall; the inner sides of the lid carry lid guide panels, spaced from the lid sides, with the side portions of certain corner posts slidably positioned between the lid sides and the lid guide panels. In a modification, the corner posts and the upper portion of the front of the main body portion of the container are debossed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,935 discloses a liquids package having side walls as well as upper and lower walls serving as top and bottom respectively, a side wall and the top having a sealing seam extending along edges of adjacent wall panels; so that the package may have a smooth outer surface in the region of sealing seams, without the formation of synthetic plastics beads or the like, the outer surface of the two wall panels which are connected to each other by the sealing seam are disposed to merge steadily into each other via the gap along at least one end face of an edge which belongs to the relevant wall panel so that the other surfaces are flush in cross-section, and in that the sealing seam is masked on the inside of the package by a synthetic plastics bead.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container for tobacco articles, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container for tobacco articles, as claimed in Claim 1 and, preferably, in any one of the following Claims depending directly and/or indirectly on Claim 1.

The present invention also relates to a method of producing the container for tobacco articles as defined above. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a container for tobacco articles, as claimed in Claim 6 and, preferably, in any one of the following Claims depending directly and/or indirectly on Claim 6.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A number of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section in perspective of a first preferred embodiment of the container according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a variation of the FIG. 1 container;

FIG. 3 shows a flat blank from which to produce the FIG. 1 container;

FIGS. 4 to 6 show, schematically, respective methods of producing the FIG. 3 blank;

FIGS. 7 to 9 are similar to FIG. 1, and show further embodiments of the container according to the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in FIG. 1 indicates as a whole a hinged-lid packet containing a group of cigarettes A enclosed in an inner wrapping B. Packet 1 comprises a body 2 and a lid 3 hinged to each other along a hinge line 4 (FIG. 3), and comprises a front wall 5, a rear wall 6, and two minor lateral walls 7 perpendicular to and connected to front and rear walls 5 and 6 by rounded longitudinal edges 8.

As shown in FIG. 3, packet 1 is formed by folding a flat, substantially rectangular blank 9, on which two preformed longitudinal fold strips 10—parallel to each other and to a longitudinal axis 11 of blank 9, and for forming rounded edges 8—define a central body 12 divided by a number of preformed transverse fold lines 13 and by hinge line 4 into a succession of panels comprising a front panel 14 of body 2; a bottom panel 15 of body 2; a rear panel 16 of body 2; a rear panel 17 of lid 3 connected to panel 16 along hinge line 4; a top panel 18 of lid 3; a front panel 19 of lid 3; and a reinforcing panel 20 of panel 18.

Outwards of central body 12, preformed longitudinal fold strips 10 define two flaps 21 extending along respective longitudinal edges of front panel 14; two flaps 22 extending along respective longitudinal edges of rear panel 16; two flaps 23 extending along respective longitudinal edges of rear panel 17; and two flaps 24 extending along respective longitudinal edges of front panel 19.

When folding blank 9 to form packet 1, flaps 21-24 are folded squarely with respect to relative panels 14, 16, 17, 19; each flap 21, 24 is superimposed at least partly on relative flap 22, 23, and is placed on and gummed to the outer surface of relative flap 22, 23; and each pair of corresponding flaps 22 and 23 defines, together with the relative flaps 21 and 24 superimposed on them, a relative lateral wall 7, the opposite longitudinal edges of which are connected respectively to front wall 5 and rear wall 6 by two rounded edges 8, each defined by a respective preformed fold strip 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, a draw line 25 is formed along each pair of flaps 22 and 23, extends parallel to longitudinal axis 11, and, as shown in FIG. 1, divides each flap 22, 23 into a raised portion 26 adjacent to and on a level with an outer edge of relative preformed fold strip 10, and into a depressed portion 27.

Depressed portion 27 of each flap 22, 23 rests on a corresponding flap of an inner collar 28, has a free edge 29, and is connected to relative raised portion 26 by a shoulder 30, which defines an inner edge of relative flap 22, 23, is of a height substantially equal to the thickness of blank 9, extends along relative draw line 25, and is positioned facing, adjacent to, and coplanar with a free edge 31 of relative flap 21, 24.

In the FIGS. 1 and 3 example, each draw line 25 is straight, and is formed practically along the outer edge of relative preformed fold strip 10, so that raised portions 26 of relative flaps 22 and 23 have a relatively small surface. In variations not shown, however, each draw line 25 is located further away from the outer edge of relative preformed fold strip 10, with a corresponding reduction in the width of relative flaps 21 and 24, and/or is defined, as in the example shown in the FIG. 2 variation, by a draw line 25 a of any curvilinear and/or mixtilinear shape, to obtain a relative lateral wall 7 with a perfectly flat outer surface 7 a with no steps or exposed free edges 31, and, at the same time, a particularly attractive effect.

Draw lines 25, 25 a can be formed using various methods, the choice of which depends on the shape and location of draw lines 25, 25 a, and on the nature of blanks 9 being used.

To form straight draw lines 25 extending lengthwise of blanks 9 extracted from a stack (not shown) and fed axially in continuous manner or in steps, each draw line 25 is preferably formed using two rollers 32 (FIG. 4) rotating about respective axes 33, crosswise to longitudinal axis 11, and positioned contacting relative depressed portion 27, and two rollers 34 offset with respect to rollers 32, rotating about respective axes 35 parallel to axes 33, and positioned contacting relative raised portion 26.

If blanks 9 (FIG. 5) are fed in steps in any direction, e.g. crosswise to longitudinal axes 11, draw lines 25 or 25 a are preferably formed using a die 36 and counter-die 37 moving crosswise to blanks 9 and having respective facing, complementary surfaces 38 and 39.

If blanks 9 are connected laterally (FIG. 6) to form a continuous strip 40 fed continuously or in steps in a direction 41 crosswise to longitudinal axes 11, draw lines 25 or 25 a are preferably formed using two substantially tangent rollers 42 and 43 located on opposite sides of strip 40, and rotating about respective axes 44 and 45 parallel to each other and to longitudinal axes 11, and crosswise to direction 41. Rollers 42 and 43 respectively comprise at least one peripheral projection 46 and at least one corresponding cavity 47, which are brought into contact with respective opposite surfaces of depressed portions 27 of two adjacent blanks 9.

Draw lines 25, 25 a may obviously be formed either when producing blanks 9 or on the user packing machine.

The above description relative to packet 1 also applies to any rigid package for tobacco articles, having one wall formed by superimposing two layers of sheet material.

For example, FIG. 7 shows a packet 48 with bevelled edges 49, i.e. an octagonal packet 48, the edges 49 of which are each defined by a longitudinal strip 50 at a 45° angle to the adjacent lateral wall 7, and connected to lateral wall 7 along a longitudinal edge 51. Draw lines 25 (or 25 a) of packet 48 are preferably formed on relative flaps 22 and 23 adjacent to relative rear edges 51.

By way of a further example, FIG. 8 shows a rectangular-section packet 52, wherein each lateral wall 7 is connected to front wall 5 and rear wall 6 along straight edges 53, and each draw line 25 (or 25 a) is preferably formed on relative flaps 22 and 23 adjacent to the relative rear edge 53.

By way of a further example, FIG. 9 shows a “PILLOW” packet 54, wherein each of the opposite lateral portions of each of front and rear walls 5 and 6 is defined by a transversely curved preformed longitudinal fold strip 55 connected to relative lateral wall 7 along a relative sharp edge 56, and each draw line 25 (or 25 a) is preferably formed on relative flaps 22 and 23 adjacent to the relative rear edge 56. 

1) A container for tobacco articles, formed by folding a blank (9) comprising a central body (12) having a longitudinal axis (11) and divided into a number of panels (14-20) by preformed fold lines (13) crosswise to said longitudinal axis (11); the container (1; 48; 52; 54) comprising at least one double-layer wall (7) defined by an inner portion (22, 23) and an outer portion (21, 24) of sheet material (9) superimposed on each other; at least part (27) of said inner portion (22, 23) being covered by a corresponding part of said outer portion (21, 24); said part (27) of said inner portion (22, 23) being a depressed part (27) depressed by an amount at least equal to the thickness of said sheet material (9); at least some (14, 16, 17, 19) of the panels (14-20) of the blank (9) having opposite lateral flaps (21-24), each of which is folded squarely with respect to the relative panel (14; 16; 17; 19) and is superimposed at least partly on a corresponding flap (21-24) of another said panel (14; 16; 17; 19) to form a relative said double-layer wall (7); characterized in that said depressed part (27) is bounded by a respective free outer first edge (29) and by an inner second edge (30) connected to the rest of said sheet material (9), and said outer portion (21, 24) has a free outer third edge (31); said third edge (31) facing and being coplanar with said second edge (30). 2) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second and third edge (30, 31) are complementary in shape. 3) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second and third edge (30, 31) are straight. 4) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second and third edge (30, 31) are curvilinear. 5) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second and third edge (30, 31) are mixtilinear. 6) A method of producing a container for tobacco articles, the method comprising the step of folding a blank (9) to define, on the container (1; 48; 52; 54), at least one double-layer wall (7) comprising an inner portion (22, 23) and an outer portion (21, 24) of sheet material (9) superimposed on each other; at least part (27) of said inner portion (22, 23) being covered by a corresponding part of said outer portion (21, 24); the method comprising the further step of depressing said part (27) of said inner portion (22, 23) by an amount at least equal to the thickness of said sheet material (9); the blank (9) comprising a central body (12) having a longitudinal axis (11) and divided into a number of panels (14-20) by preformed fold lines (13) crosswise to said longitudinal axis (11); at least some (14, 16, 17, 19) of the panels (14-20) of the blank (9) having opposite lateral flaps (21-24), each of which is folded squarely with respect to the relative panel (14; 16; 17; 19) and is superimposed at least partly on a corresponding flap (21-24) of another said panel (14; 16; 17; 19) to form a relative said double-layer wall (7); the method being characterized in that said depressed part (27) is bounded by a respective free outer first edge (29) and by an inner second edge (30) connected to the rest of said sheet material (9), and said outer portion (21, 24) has a free outer third edge (31); said third edge (31) facing and being coplanar with said second edge (30). 7) A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said part (27) of said inner portion (22, 23) is depressed by drawing. 8) A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said drawing is performed using a die (36) and a counter-die (37). 9) A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said drawing is performed by rolling. 10) A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rolling is performed in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis (11). 11) A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rolling is performed in a direction crosswise to said longitudinal axis (11). 12) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said blank (9) forms part of a strip (40) defined by a succession of blanks (9) joined to one another and positioned with their longitudinal axes (11) crosswise to a travelling direction (41) of said strip (40). 